CONSERVATIVES in south Manchester are mourning the deaths of two party stalwarts.

Former county councillors Ian Paley and Margaret Davies died within weeks of each other after long and distinguished careers in local government.

Mr Paley's funeral was held last Thursday, August 18, at Southern Crematorium in Chorlton. He died two weeks ago just one day short of his 70th birthday.

Former city magistrate Mrs Davies, who lived in Finney Drive, Chorlton, was both a city and county councillor for the Withington ward in the 1980s before the dissolution of the Greater Manchester Council. She was also ex-president of the former Moss Side British Legion.

Mrs Davies was in her mid-70s when she died last month, leaving behind a son and a daughter. The funeral service was held at a packed St Clement's Church in Chorlton.

Both Mr Paley and Mrs Davies were members of the Conservative party and Chorlton Conservative Club throughout their adult lives and this week tributes were pouring in from party members.

David Lawson, former chairman of Barlow Moor Conservative Association, said: "They were both very highly-respected and will be a great loss to the party in south Manchester."

Peter Hilton, leader of the last ruling Conservative group in the city council, said: "Both Ian and Margaret will be greatly missed by all who knew and had the pleasure to work with them.

"Margaret was a very active and enthusiastic member of the Conservative party and Chorlton Conservative Club all her life. She represented the party in the old Lloyd Street ward, now Moss Side, and as a voluntary member of the party in the Chorlton ward.

"Mr Paely was also an active member of the Conservative Party all his life. It's very sad to lose two very prominent members of the Conservative Club."

Back In 1966, Mr Pasely stood for parliament in Wigan and lost. He tried again four years later in the Ardwick ward but lost to Labour's candidate Gerald Kaufman, now Manchester's longest sitting MP. It was Mr Kaufman's first election in Ardwick and he beat Mr Pasely by just over 3,000 votes.

Mr Paely was elected as a Wythenshawe ward councillor in the late 1950s and went on to represent Benchill as a city and county councillor.

Bachelor Mr Paley, born-and-bred in Northenden, was a former chairman of Chorlton Conservative Association and an active member of the conservative club on Wilbraham Road.

He was never elected as ward councillor for Chorlton despite standing as a candidate on a number of occasions.